Llandaff Society hoping to join 50th anniversary Doctor Who BBC celebrations by inviting main character to unveil a plaque on Fairwater Grove West house

Terry Nation, the Cardiff-born scriptwriter pictured with his daughter Rebecca and one of his famous TV creations, a Dalek from the Dr Who series

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Barking “Exterminate!” at Doctor Who, the Daleks have made generations of kids leap behind the sofa to safety.

Now the heritage loving Llandaff Society is hoping to celebrate the life of their creator, Terry Nation, with a blue plaque on the home he grew up in Cardiff.

The group’s chairman, Geoff Barton-Greenwood, said: “We are trying to get a blue plaque put up at the time of the 50th anniversary on the house where Terry Nation came from.”

The anniversary is being marked by the BBC with a special episode on November 23.

“At the moment we are seeking permission from the owner of the house and, in addition, we want the BBC to take an interest in this, and possibly get one of the main characters from the Doctor Who series to do the unveiling,” Geoff said.

“If we could get Matt Smith we would be delighted. But we don’t know whether he will be around.

“If you look at the duration of the Doctor Who series, over a 50 year period, and the fact that the Daleks appeared in the second series and have been there ever since as the arch enemy of the doctor, there must be something about them that has made them iconic to young people.

“My grandson has vast images of them on his walls. It has made a big impression on him. Just like it did on his father, who is now 41.”

He was a schoolboy at Canton High School and lived at Fairwater Grove West for the first 20 years of his life before going off to make his fortune in London, and subsequently in Hollywood as a scriptwriter.

Terry also came up with cult sci-fi shows Blake’s 7 and Survivors, and worked on The Avengers, The Baron, The Persuaders!, The Champions, Department S, and The Saint.

It is hoped Cadw will provide half the funding for the memorial, which would be made either from ceramic or aluminium.

There is no official blue plaque scheme in Wales but there is a civic initiative scheme run by the Welsh Government agency.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “Terry Nation was a fantastic writer and we would be happy to support this recognition of his creative talent.”

A Cadw spokesman said: “There is no dedicated blue plaque scheme, such as in England, but Cadw can make grants to voluntary organisations for plaques to commemorate historic places or people.

“The Civic Initiatives Heritage Grants Scheme is aimed at small-scale projects which help to preserve, enhance or improve the historic environment of Wales and increase social awareness of Welsh heritage.”